The Detroit Lions may soon be losing another coach. The New England Patriots are rumored to want to hire Lions defensive line coach Terrell Williams, per 247 Sports. Patriots coach Mike Vrabel is looking at hiring Williams to be his defensive coordinator.

Vrabel is taking over in New England, as the team's third head coach in three years. He replaces Jerod Mayo, who got fired after one disappointing season. Mayo replaced the legendary Bill Belichick, who left the team after 2023.

Williams is one of several Lions assistants who are targets for other jobs. Another coach possibly leaving is defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who is a finalist for the New York Jets job. The Jets aren't the only team interested in Glenn.

Williams worked for Vrabel already, which may be why he's a strong candidate for New England. Williams was an assistant coach for the Tennessee Titans while Vrabel coached there.

Detroit's season just ended after losing in the NFC Divisional Playoff Round to the Washington Commanders. New England, meanwhile, missed the playoffs after finishing the season 4-13.

The Lions are now one of the strongest teams in the NFC

Lions head coach Dan Campbell during the playoff game against the Commanders.
Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Lions had a fantastic season, winning 15 games and going to the NFC Playoffs for the second consecutive year. Detroit went to the NFC championship in 2023. The team has also won back-to-back division championships.

The Lions now need to find a solid core of assistant coaches to continue their success. With Glenn likely leaving, the team will need a new defensive coordinator. Williams could actually be a candidate for that job, if he doesn't leave as well.

The Lions already lost a key assistant this offseason as former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson left to coach the Chicago Bears. He's the first coordinator to leave the Lions for a head coaching job since John F. Kennedy was President, per the Detroit Free Press. A few other Detroit assistants have done that since then, but they weren't coordinators.

Lions fans are hopeful that despite the departures, the team can remain an NFC power in the future. Clearly there are some big shoes to fill, and coach Campbell will have his work cut out for him.